1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an impact actuated safety apparatus for use in a vehicle, and more particularly to an impact actuated apparatus of the kind for use in automotive vehicles equipped with drive aggregates mounted adjacent their rear axles and provided with safety devices adapted to be spontaneously activated by such apparatus when the vehicle is subjected to an impact exceeding a predetermined force released, for instance, as a result of a collision.
2. The Prior Art
Apparatus for enhancing the safety of passengers within a vehicle and activated by the energy released when such vehicle is involved in a collision are well known. West German patent specification No. DE-OS 33 37 232, for instance, discloses an apparatus in which a cable connected at one end to a front mounted engine or transmission and trained around a deflector or direction reversing device activates a device for enhancing the safety of a passenger in case the vehicle is involved in a front-end collision. The safety device may be such that it pulls the steering wheel out of a zone of potential impact with the driver's head, or that it elevates a forward portion of a seat occupied by a passenger, or that it tightens a seat belt to prevent forward propulsion of a passenger's torso.
The apparatus functions on the principle that in a collision of predetermined force a front-mounted engine or transmission is moved relative to the chassis of the vehicle, in a generally rearward direction. This relative movement is transmitted to the safety feature by way of the cable, and the safety device is thus activated in the aforesaid manner. Such apparatus, while effective in preventing injuries to passengers, is limited in its functioning to vehicles equipped with front-mounted engine and/or transmissions.
Another type of safety apparatus is the subject of west German patent specification No. DE-OS 16 55 597 disclosing a cable attached to a longitudinally moveable shock absorber. If as a result of a frontal collision, the shock absorber is subjected to a load it moves rearwardly of the vehicle, together with its mounting structure. This movement, by way of a plurality of deflectors or direction changing elements, is transmitted to a console in which the steering column is mounted, and the steering wheel may thus be moved away from the driver of the vehicle. The apparatus is of relatively complicated structure and may not be useful in praxi; for it is actuated even by minor collision forces acting on the shock absorber. To reset this apparatus to its operative condition in any event requires extensive repair work.